Shelf-support



(No Mdel.)

W. D. HAVEN.

SHELF SUPPORT.

Patented July 8,. 1890.

VILSON D; HAVEN, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

'rEENToN NEW JERSEY.

' SHELF-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,745, dated JulyB, 1890.

' Application nea septemberiz, 1889. semina. 323,732. (Nomea.)

To all whom t may concern.- 4

Be it known thatV I, WILsoND. HAVEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and ,State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shelf-Supports; and I do declare the following to be affull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The rapid production of books renders it of especial importance that libraries should" be provided with shelving capable of adjustment to any required height or distance between shelves, thus` enabling thevaluable space of such institutions to be economized to the highest degree. Such shelving should, moreover, be fire-proof in its character and adapted to modern Y re-proof 'interior construction, and the means of adjustment accurate and easy of operation. Vith these objects in view I have devised the shelf-support hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without, however, limiting my invention to the details of construction, which, for the sake of illustration, I have particularly set forth.

In said drawings, Figure l is a front and Fig. 2 a side view of shelving and supporting devices embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical and Fig. 4 a horizontal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the support. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the crosspiece. l

Referring to the drawings, A indicates vertical standards composed of iron piping seated at the lower end in sockets a and at their upper ends connected with each other by couplings B and horizontal pipe-sections C. Each pair of standards'A may be connected by a transverse pipe or pipes D with the corresponding pair at the opposite ends of the shelves.

E isa casting provided at each end with a vertical sleeve e, a horizontal shelf-supportin g web e', and two vertical webs e2, which connect the sleeves e, and are joined at their upper edges to the outer edges of web e', leaving between' them the vertical space e3. The sleeves e have a loose or sliding fit upon the standards A.

F indicates cams or eccentrics situated in the space e3 at Veach end thereof, pivoted upon pins f, which pass through ears e4, formed with the Webs e2, and adapted to .engage the contiguous faces of standards A. The swell of lthe'cam vor 'eccentricis below its pivot-pin, so

that the weight of 4the casting or cross-piece E and the superimposed shelf S, with its books or other load, only-tends to force the cam more rmly againstthe standard, with the result of making the cross-piece perfectly rigid therewith. This connection can take place at any point on the standard, andthe shelves may therefore be securely supported at any desired distance apart. In order to insure thatthe eccentrics F are kept in contact with the surfaces of standards A at all times, so as to be ready to perform their office of securing the cross-piece,as above described, each cam is provided with a weight f', situated upon the opposite side of the pivot f from the swell of the cam and of sufcient gravity to overcome the weight of said swell and lift it into contact with the standard.

The weights f may conveniently be shaped as handles for depressing and releasing the cams and are situated relative to the swell of the-cams, so that when the cams are released the said handles are below the plane of the shelf, thus enabling the support to be adj usted without removing either the books or shelf. The handles are also preferably extended inward toward eachother for such distance as to enable both of them to be operated by one hand of the operator while the other hand is being occupied similarly with the support at the other end of the shelf or sustains a portion of the weight of the shelf and books.

rlhe operation of my invention is very simple. It being desired to lower a shelf, the handlesf at one end of theshelf are raised slightly, whereupon the cross-piece E will slide downward. When it has reached the desired point, it is simply necessary to permit said handles to drop, and the cross-piece and shelf will at once be arrested and firmly secured. The same operation may then be performed at the other end of the shelf. In raising the shelf it is simply necessary to lift the cross-pieces IOO for instance, upon a vertical longitudinalv plane, in the manner indicated-I am enabled to apply the cross-pieces to or remove them from the standards after the latter have been erected and secured in place at top and bottom. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a shelf-support, the combination, with l vertical standards, of a cross-piece provided with bearings adapted to fit said standards,

cams pivotally mounted in said cross-piece, and weighted operating-handles connected with saidjcams and situated below the plane of the shelf when the cams are released, substantially as set forth.

2. In a shelf-support, the combination, with vertical cylindrical standards, of a cross-piece provided with bearing-sleeves e, adapted to lit said standards, and having a horizontal shelf-supporting top web c and two vertical depending webs e2, and cams pivotally mounted between said vertical webs and provided with weighted operating -l1andles, substantially as set forth.

3. In a shelf-support, the combination, with vertical standards, of a series of cross-pieces provided with bearings adapted to slide vertically upon said standards, securing devices whereby the cross-pieces may be sustained at various heights upon the standards, and adjustable connections between said standards, whereby their distance apart may be Vregulated and the proper iitting of said bearings upon the standards insured, substantially as set forth.

4. In adjustable shelving, the combination, with standards A, of cross-pieces each provided with bearings adapted to t said standards and with two pawls adapted to engage the same, said pawls having weighted operating-handles situated, when the pawls are in their unlocked position, below the plane of the shelf and extending inward toward each other to a point where both may be operated by one hand to lower the shelf, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

wiLso D. HAVEN.

Witnesses:

PETER BAoKEs, E. H. MURPHY. 

